BART Releases Draft EIS on Warm Springs Extension

BART Releases Draft EIS on Warm Springs Extension

Public to have opportunity to comment on Draft Environmental Impact Statement

The San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District (BART) is holding a public hearing on Tuesday, April 12, 2005 to gather comments on the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for the Warm Springs Extension project.

The project will extend BART service an additional 5.4 miles south from the Fremont BART Station to a new station in the Warm Springs district of Fremont, with an optional station in Fremont's Irvington district.

The public can submit verbal or written comments at the April 12 public hearing. In addition, the public can submit written comments via U.S. mail to:

An Environmental Impact Report and Supplemental Environmental Impact Report were previously prepared for this project in 1992 and 2003 respectively. BART prepared both documents in accordance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).

The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) and BART are preparing the EIS in order to satisfy the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA), which will make the project eligible for federal funding.

Environmental issues analyzed in the DEIS include, but are not limited to:

Transportation and traffic impacts;

The use of parkland, including Fremont Central Park;

Biological resources and sensitive species;

Land use, including consistency of proposed stations with local plans and policies;

Potential impacts to historic and cultural resources; and

Noise and vibration impacts on homes and other sensitive receptors near the tracks.

Anyone needing special assistance to attend the meeting should call the project information line at (510) 476-3900 at least 72 hours prior to the public meeting. The meeting facility is ADA compliant.